LONDON, UK – Consumers in the UK are being warned of the potential dangers posed by electric heaters being sold on popular social media platforms. Watchdog group Which? has conducted tests and discovered that many of these heaters are electrically unsafe and pose serious risks to consumers.
The group purchased and tested eight electric heaters from TikTok and Temu, finding that six of them were deemed electrically unsafe. These heaters, with prices as low as £7.20, were found to have the potential to cause electric shocks, start fires, or even explode. One particular model, the XH-1201 1200W portable electric heater purchased from TikTok, was identified as a fire hazard and a potential explosion threat, with the capability to cause electric shocks.
The issue extended to Temu as well, with an identical £16.98 portable space heater purchased from the platform being found to have similar unsafe characteristics. Which? found that this heater too could give users an electric shock, cause a fire, or even explode.
The concern also arose from the fact that these unsafe heaters were being heavily promoted by influencers with millions of followers on these platforms. The videos promoting these dangerous products were marked as “paid partnership” or “commission paid” and had collectively garnered over 100,000 views.
In response to the findings, both TikTok and Temu have taken action to remove all heaters that failed the safety testing, along with 27 listings for identical dangerous heaters. However, Which? has noted that similar listings have since reappeared on the platforms.
With the increasing popularity of online marketplaces like TikTok and Temu, the issue of ensuring the safety of products sold on these platforms has come to the forefront. The charity Electrical Safety First’s chief executive, Lesley Rudd, emphasized the need for urgent legal changes to regulate these platforms and protect consumers from unsafe products.
Which? is calling for online marketplaces to take greater legal responsibility for the safety of products sold on their platforms, as the popularity of these new platforms continues to grow. With millions of consumers making purchases through these platforms, there is an urgent need for measures to safeguard the public from potentially hazardous products.